The Center for Digital Green-innovation (CDG) is pleased to host a series of seminars focused on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this 4th installment, we welcome Mr. Toshiaki Oga from Tabio Corporation, a key partner in our “NAIST SDGs Action: Cotton Cultivation in Fallow Rice Field Project.” We invite all interested parties to join us for this insightful session.
Event Overview
Date & Time: Friday, May 8, 2026, 17:00 – 18:00
Format: Hybrid (Onsite: CDG Commons + Online: Zoom)
Registration: Here
Language: Japanese (English subtitles are being prepared.)
Speaker: Mr. Toshiaki Oga (Tabio Corporation)
Topic: Tabio’s Monozukuri (Manufacturing) and Challenges in the Industry
Abstract:
Tabio is a company defined by its world-leading dedication to the quality of socks. While pursuing the highest standards of excellence, Tabio implements various innovations—such as maintaining intimate relationships with local knitters and building highly efficient logistics networks—to ensure their products remain accessible to customers. Our pursuit of quality extends beyond manufacturing processes to the very raw materials we use. Tabio cultivates its own “Tabio’s Cotton” (Sea Island Cotton), a fiber of the highest caliber. Despite the absence of industrial-scale cotton farming in modern Japan, we utilize fallow fields (abandoned farmland) for organic cultivation. This initiative not only produces premium materials but also revitalizes local communities by employing senior citizens. However, the industry faces significant hurdles. Over the past 20 years, domestic sock production in Japan has plummeted to just one-tenth of its former volume. This decline has led to a drastic reduction in the number of knitting manufacturers, skilled artisans, and specialized machinery. To sustain and grow the market for high-value-added socks, we must also accelerate our promotional efforts through SNS and digital marketing. In this seminar, we hope to explore these challenges and discuss potential solutions together with all of you.
Organizer: Center for Digital Green-innovation (CDG)